Amy Barlow of Coronation Street reported her flatmate Aaron Sandford to police on Tuesday after he raped her unconscious, leading to her arrest.
The soap opera addressed the issue of non-consensual sex in the hard-hitting storyline in which Amy passed out after having too much to drink.
summer wizard reads a text message on Aaron’s phone suggesting to Amy that they leave things behind. She then demanded to know what’s going on.
Aaron admitted that they slept together the night they broke up, but it was just once and they both regret it.
Summer seemed devastated and confronted Amy, who broke down in tears and assured her that she was wrong before confessing to her mother Tracy how Aaron raped her.
Tough: Coronation Street’s Amy Barlow reported her flatmate Aaron Sandford to the police in the upcoming scenes, after he raped her when she was unconscious
Awful: The soap opera tackled the subject of non-consensual sex in the hard-hitting storyline in which Amy passed out after having too much to drink.
Horrified: Tracy was horrified when Amy described how she passed out drunk and Aaron took advantage of her.
Tracy was horrified when Amy described how she passed out drunk and Aaron took advantage of her.
Amy says: ‘That night with Aaron was the first time I let my guard down. I never expected to be raped in my own bed by a partner.
A heartbroken Steve and Tracy urged Amy to report Aaron to the police. With Tracy as backup, Amy walks into the police station and says that she wants to report a rape.
She told the police: ‘He was my partner, and he did this to me.’
Meanwhile, Aaron makes his case to Summer, claiming that he did nothing wrong and that: “She wanted it just as much as I did.”
Later, the police arrest him at work and take him away in a police car as Amy and Steve look on.
Viewers of the ITV show praised actors Elle Mulvaney (Amy) and James Craven (Aaron) for highlighting such an important issue, but admitted it was a “tough watch”.
During the episode, Amy and Aaron drunkenly kiss as they return to their shared flat, after he has a fight with his girlfriend Summer and despite her rebuffs, he makes the decision for her that they will have sex.
As they head to the bedroom, Amy walks away from him drunk and unaware of what is happening, but Aaron continues to undress her.
Sharing their thoughts on Twitter, fans of the show said: “Amy and Aaron’s story on the run has made me very uncomfortable, however it is a very important topic to highlight.” Tonight’s episode was done very well.
Another added: “I’ve seen people complaining about the new consent story that started on tonight’s #corrie with Amy and Aaron.”
“It’s a very important story that needs to be highlighted, I can’t wait for the next few weeks episodes, I’m going to get some great stuff from @ElleJMulvaney.”
A third person wrote: “I don’t like where this is going, he seems too into Amy.”
“As soon as Amy passed out or said she was feeling sick, then Aaron should have stopped and gotten Amy some water and left her alone.”
The story will address issues surrounding non-consensual sex as both teens wrestle with the consequences of their night together.
As Amy slowly begins to recall the details of the night, she realizes that she did not consent to the sex and was raped.
But Aaron repeatedly insists that they both consented to the sex, and tells Amy that she did nothing wrong.
Horrible: Amy says, ‘That night with Aaron was the first time I let my guard down. I never expected to be raped in my own bed by a partner’
Supportive: A heartbroken Steve and Tracy urged Amy to report Aaron to the police. With Tracy’s encouragement, Amy walks into the police station and says that she wants to report a rape.
Plot: Viewers of the ITV show praised actors Elle Mulvaney (Amy) and James Craven (Aaron) for highlighting such an important issue, but admitted it was a “tough watch”.
Thoughts: Viewers of the ITV show praised actors Elle Mulvaney and James Craven for highlighting such an important issue, but admitted it was a “tough watch.”
As Amy struggles with her emotions and realizes that she couldn’t consent to sex and was raped, Aaron tries to convince her that they both wanted it to happen and that he didn’t do anything wrong.
With the participation of family and friends and then the police, viewers will see the different reactions and understandings of the non-consensual sexual activity as both teenagers wrestle with what happened that night.
The story is expected to open conversations among family and friends about the issues surrounding sexual activity among young people, including consent, awareness, respect and education.
The Coronation Street researchers have worked alongside The Schools Consent Project, a charity established in early 2015 that sends legally trained volunteers to schools to deliver workshops on the legal definition of sexual consent.
The free national rape crisis hotline is available on 0808 802 9999 (12:00-14:30 and 19:00-21:30 every day of the year)